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Excessive Sweating - Complete Guide to Causes, Treatments & Diagnosis

Did you know that about 1% to 2% of the world's population suffers from excessive sweating (hyperhidrosis). With this site there is thorough, comprehensive, and up to date information for excessive sweating, its causes, best treatments, commonly asked questions and much more. Excessive sweating, or as its known in medical literature as hyperhidrosis, is a clinical condition where parts of the body are sweating beyond the bodies physiological needs.

Symptoms of hyperhidrosis:

The typical presentation of excessive hand sweating or foot sweating is the uncontrolled appearance of sweat. It can happen at any time without any identified reason. Usually patients do not have these problems while sleeping but during their normal daily hours it can happen. It can affect people negatively in functional and social settings. Obviously the sweating levels are different from one patient to another but none the less the affects can be significant to those affected. There is no connection between being anxious or active because this condition can happen at times when the person is not active or anxious. This represents the autonomous nature of the sympathetic nervous system which is an involuntary one compared to the motoric or sensory nervous systems which are voluntary systems.

Causes of Excessive Sweating (Hyperhidrosis):

It is commonly an inherited condition and can affect those who suffer from it on a social, functional, and emotional level. The good news is, there are several different ways to combat excessive sweating with varying levels of effectiveness depending on the severity of the excessive sweating problem. Use the list of links on the left to cover all relevant topics ranging from hand sweating to armpit sweating.

The very basic explanation for excessive sweating is that a segment of the sympathetic nervous system is responsible for this presentation. What is the sympathetic chain you may ask? This is an autonomous part of the nervous system on which we have no control. The autonomous nervous system has two parts to it, the sympathetic and the parasympathetic. Those systems affect blood pressure, heart rate, anxiety level and many other functions. Commonly affected areas of the body are the hands (sweaty hands - palmar), feet (sweaty feet - plantar), and armpits (axillary). The armpits and face represent a smaller groups of patients.

Treatment of Hyperhidrosis:

Different methods have been used to treat excessive sweating such as herbal medications, different oral medications, lotions, and injections of botox. All of the above had limited success and if successful only for a limited periods of time. Dr. Reisfeld based in Los Angeles at The Center for Hyperhidrosis is probably the most experienced surgeons in the U.S. that offers the most in depth site on the surgical solutions.

At present there are a few good surgical options for the treatment of excessive hand sweating. The most well-known surgical procedure is something called ETS which stands for Endoscopic Thoracic Sympathectomy. With this method the specialized surgeon enters the thoracic cavity and disrupts the sympathetic chain responsible for excessive hand sweating. This is an outpatient procedure and the patient can go home the same day. The success rate is around 98-99% for excessive hand sweating.

For excessive foot sweating a new procedure known as lumbar sympathectomy was developed since about 2005. With this procedure people who suffer specifically from excessive foot sweating OR did not get enough relief via the ETS procedure then this procedure provides relief with a high degree of success 98-99%. It’s important to note that the majority of people with hyperhidrosis have it in both the hands and feet. For this reason it is more common for people who had surgery for their hands to then want the surgery for their feet. Why the hands first? Typically excessive hand sweating appears in the younger age group and is more socially and functionally troubling to people than their feet.

Excessive armpit sweating that appears by itself (without hand and foot sweating) can be addressed, after all conservative methods have failed, with suction curettage. This can be accomplished on an outpatient basis with the success rate of about 85%.

Throughout this site we go into great detail to describe the issues surrounding excessive sweating, its history, the various treatments, and what the future holds for this condition. Medical advances are being made all the time by the conditions leading surgeons. Please let us know if there is anything further you would like added to this site. Be sure to consult with your doctor before making any medical decisions.

Head Sweating

To all of those comments that have been posted about head sweating. Dr. Reisfeld believes that head sweating as a sole presentation with excessive sweating is not treated with surgery. The same goes for those patients who describe total body sweating over many sites of the body. The surgical approach should be utilized only for cases with excessive hand sweating, armpit sweating and feet sweating. Not all of those sites will be affected and improved with one operation. In order to learn more about it please visit his website www.sweaty-palms.com.

Comments

I notes that in your report there is no mention of head sweating. In my case when a was in my teens my feet were the ones who would sweat. I am 56 now and its been a few years now I been suffering with is illness. Now the excess of sweating is in my head, I still sweat all over but not my feet. There are other parts of my body that sweat to. Would like a replay back if possible. Thank you

Isolated head sweating, so called cranio facial hyperhidrosis is a manifestation of hyperhidrosis. Past experience of performing ETS for isolated cranio facial hyperhidrosis (head sweating) caused more side effects such as compensatory sweating than the initial problem. At present ETS is not recommended for isolated head sweating.

I have been suffering from head sweating for well over a year. I can't apply makeup or style my hair for the excessive sweating. Is this a symptom of any illnesses I could possibly have? I am desperate to find a cure for this condition. My hands used to sweat in younger years, I never wanted to dance or shake hands with anyone. When I started taking meds for depression and anxiety, this problem ceased. Could the sweating be stress related? I need HELP.

In order to give you a definite answer I need to know some facts. The first one is how old are you because head sweating in women can appear later in life. The fact that you mentioned that excessive hand sweating was a problem years ago you could have the gene that causes focal hyperhidrosis. At this time at affects your head and facial area. Anti anxiety or anti depression medications can also trigger facial / head sweating. Again not having all the data it is very difficult for me to give you a definite answer but having said that I would not recommend ETS for your facial / head sweating.

Was reading your message about head sweating....Did you ever find a cure, I'm now going through it myself and have no idea of why I'm sweating so bad, just soakin wet like I just got out of a shower....starts at head and into chest area as well as groin and both legs.

My husband sweats often and he is also healthy and a good exerciser he works out 3.5-4 miles per day on elliptical so he is an efficient sweater however while around people at work or just people he isn't around often or whenever he is anxious or uncomfortable is sweats a lot all over his body. He does not know how to control this reaction, but I think there must be something he can/may need to do psychologically speaking? Any suggestions?

Total body hyperhidrosis is not a clinical situation where an operation can help. Whereas ETS is good for isolated (focal hyperhidrosis) it is not the same as with total body sweating. Excessive total body sweating is an item that is associated with generalized reasons not all of them can be detected. For that reason there is currently no operation offered for those patients. The possibility of medical treatment (prescriptions) should be explored via an experienced hyperhidrosis physician.

Traditional Chinese Medicine is an option that I'm about to explore. They use a combination of acupuncture and herbs to fix the underlying condition that is causing the hyperhidrosis. I've heard a great deal of positive feedback about this. I'll keep you posted in my progress...

I have been suffering from hyperhidrosis for so long. I tried every type of deodorant but nothing worked. I even envisaged to get botox this is how bad I was desperate even though I hate that idea.
I was very isolated and hardly socialize because of that. it was embarrassing. Anyway, not long ago a friend of mine told me about this product she's been using ant it is called AHC20 ( you can find it on the scrubs uk website or amazon) and I can 100% vouch for it as it did wonders. I will highly recommend it.

I seem to be fine just sitting down at home, but as soon as I get up to go out I suffer from excessive sweating; under my breasts around my neck and forehead and my back.and around my waist. This keeps up either until I get home or if I'm going somewhere I can sit for a while and relax. I also sweat excessively in the night and wake up in the middle of the night with my pillow and sheets soaking wet. I am 78 and this only started about 5 or. 6 years ago to this extent.

Hi Barbara, this type of complaint is very common among patients similar to you. I believe that for the female population in your age group there are some hormonal imbalances / changes that cause this type of presentation. An operation is not the solution for you. The only advice I can give you is to try some conservative treatments with medications.

Once you read this information please discuss it with your private medical doctor and check the possibilities of using them.

I sweat from my head dripping down my face into my eyes and back under neat my breast and my arms,shoulders. If I become the least bit hot this happens. I also, notice that I can sense heat from any place in the house or any place. The thing is this, I have been doing this since my childhood! It is not new to me. And it is shameful. I also, notice that I am very comfortable in the coldest and cool seasons of the year. I absolutely love cold weather. What can I do to control this problem?

Head sweating or cranio facial hyperhidrosis is a form of excessive focal hyperidrosis. It happens mainly in the middle age population, especially with women. It was proven that ETS was not a good solution for those patients. If there is any hormonal balance that can be corrected it should be done or the usage of anti cholinergic agents such as robinul can be tried.

My sweaing has only started within the past year. I was 70 in Jan 2014. I went through menopause when I was 48 and had only minimal sweating and hot flashes. I hate hot weather, or being hot in general. Everyone around me can be cool or comfortable a nd I am dripping down my back from my hair and from my forehear. I am on several medications. I was wondering a bout hormones. I took Premarin and progestin for about 8 to 10 years and was taken off them with all the scares. I come from a family of surgical hysterectomies so have no reference to how my mother reacted. I just want to cool off and quit dripping. I use a man's hankerchief to "blot" my fact and neck and forehead constantly when I exert myself minimally, or it gets hot, or I cook. HELP.

With regard to your comments, you do have a situation that is called facial hyperhidrosis. It usually affects older women after menopause. The exact reason is unknown but most likely some hormonal changes and aging are the reasons for that. As such you are not a candidate for any surgical intervention. The most I can advise you is to try some oral medications which are outlined in our section about alternative methods on this website in the left navigation. Hopefully this will help you to a certain degree.

I am a 42 yr old female and I have been experiencing this problem for over two years, my doctors (pcp,rheumatologists, dermatologist ) have all ran test after test and the only problem issue was my ck levels which was extremely high, it was in the 600's....my skin stays dry, I itch everynite, I have these bumps come up on my back and I can feel them forming but then they go away,my left leg swells down to my foot. I have bruises that come up on my left leg with no explanation, my lining in my jaws are peeling,my lower lip was numb for almost two weeks....please can somebody,anybody help me, or at least guide me in the right direction of finding out what is happening to me

For some time now I have experiencing horrible excessive sweats. They seem to be triggered by any stressor or by nothing at all. It often takes hours to stop sweating after I shower. The sweats usually calm if I sit or lay down but if I try to conduct a normal life, they can go on for hours and hours - making it impossible to do my hair or prepare myself to go out in public. They strike anytime or anywhere and I never know how long they will last. They are quite debilitating.

I have seen a number of doctors and no on seems to be able to do anything for me. One doctor is trying hormone treatments but so far, they haven't had any positive effect. My thyroid has been adjusted to the proper dosage (I lost all thyroid function as a sophomore in college many years ago). I am in my middle 60's. I have gone through menopause so it isn't that.

I have, however, had a number of surgeries, including three lumbar surgeries. Unfortunately, I have recently learned that in the process of implanting and removing screws in my back, twice, the surgeon grazed my spinal cord - on multiple levels... I am on pain medication but lowering the dosage has little to no effect on how much I sweat.

Can anyone give me any idea of what kind of a doc to see about this problem? My Gynecologist, or GP haven't been able to do anything for me. I've tried acupuncture and all sorts of holistic measures. Is there anything that can be done for over-all sweats that just seem to control your life???

The situation you are describing is somewhat typical for women in your age group that for unknown reasons they control mechanism for body sweat is getting out of control. The exact reason for this is unknown and since the reason is unknown solutions for this problem is still not yet available. So far no specific treatment was found to be effective and any type of doctor you will try to visit will take a battery of tests that not necessarily will show anything wrong with you beyond your current conditions. Obviously certain factors should be eliminated such as excessive weight, multiple medications, excessive use of pain killers, unhealthy diet, smoking, alcohol, etc. Once those are eliminated and the problem continues then the lack of a real solution will force you to accept it and to try to find the best mode of living that will help you.

Hello fellow sister in sweating misery.
Your symptoms and age are strikingly similar to mine so I thought I would add what I have learned about this miserable condition. I have to take thyroid medication and that can cause sweating side-effects; so too does most 'serious' pain meds like Vicodin, duragesic patch, or oxycontin. Also, some high-blood-pressure lowering meds can increase sweating. Additionally, several common anti-depressants cause head and facial sweats.
I learned that I won the sweat-causing trifecta with three of my medicines I take! It is bothersome enough that I am going to do a complete review with my PCD and try to reduce or go off of some of them.

Another thing I want to mention is that my mother had this hyperhidrosis thing going on in later life too. I also recall my father sweating profusely at times, however, we do live in a hot climate which doesn't help.
lastly, I want to mention that I have been having low-blood-sugar issues for years. When I have one of those sugar-crashes, the sweats come on hard and stay on until I get enough protein in me. This can be prevented entirely by eating frequent, small, low-carb meals.
I also drink gallons of water just to replenish all the lost fluids plus take vitamins and extra potassium; again, just to try and keep from getting too debilitated from these accursed episodes.
I intend to get some control over this health issue because as I get older, I notice the sweat episodes seem to be getting stronger and more frequent - and most peculiarly - occur after a shower or bath, even tepid ones.

The above mentioned comment is a typical one described by many older patients telling us about overall body sweating. When you read their notes or via telephone conversations one realizes that the patients are suffering from total body excessive sweating compared to the main topic of this website which is for the treatment of focal (local) hyperhidrosis. The treatment for local hyperhidrosis such as excessive hand sweating (palmar hyperhidrosis) and excessive feet sweating (plantar hyperhidrosis) starts with attempts of medical treatment which are not known to be very effective. If the situation in these local cases is a severe one, at present the only effective solutions are ETS or ELS.

For the cases represented by the above mentioned comment which is usually related to aging, associated medical illnesses (diabetes, low sugar levels, thyroid problems, obesity, malignancies) the treatment should be always directed towards the underlying medical problem. Not to put to much hope, the success rate is also limited. Changing of life habits such as the cessation of smoking, weight reduction, increased physical activity are part of an overall approach that can be helpful.

I am a vegan & when I ate some meat as a vegetarian I would sweat more profusely...Now that I am a vegan I am just the opposite..

I would say go to a vegan lifestyle & you will be helped by just eating all plant food & deleting all meats, dairy & eggs. All meat products, dairy, eggs and processed foods have so many chemicals inside them...I would say try this & I can believe this will be the one thing that will cure your sweats...

I have been experiencing total body sweating for about 2 years now I am 45 years old and my weight is 15.5 stone which I do know I am overweight but I have never been a person that sweats until 2 years ago I am type 2 diabetic and taking 4 mg glimapride and 2000mg metaformin also I take 40mg simvastatin for cholesterol 30mg lanserprozole for my stomach and I also take 30mg paroxatine for anxiety disorder could any of this medication be causing my excessive sweating
Thank you john

I am 62 . Recently I have begun to sweat very much in whole body . 4 months ago I had an orthopedic surgery ( ankle fusion of my right foot) .I had an after surgery complication (the thitd day of it) thromboembolia in my lungs . I took Klexanne ( 2x0.6ml) for 3 months. I had a CT of the lungs after three months and it was normal . Now I take Aspirine Protect 100 mg . The body especially my face,head , back ,belly , breast cover with sweat. After the shower It takes a long time to cool down . I need to take 2-3 showers a day in order to feel a little comfortable . I have never had this problem before. My clothes become wet , so I need to change them very often during the day . I do not weat when I sleep but just when I perform even the slightest physical action .I had my menopausa 7 years ago . At that time I did suffer this situation . What can I do to manage this situation ? Which physician I have to see ?
Looking forward to your help.
Semi.

Entire body sweating falls out of the framework of localized / focal hyperhidrosis which this site deals with. As you described your situation you went through multiple operations, multiple medications and your age which the scope of this website is not capable of giving you good answers. Sorry for this short answer but I do not have any explanation for your condition.

Hi, I have much the same symptoms as yourself and it is driving me to despair. I'm 62 and had a late menopause, I was 56 when it started and for a good long time I had slight flushes but nothing that affected my life. That all changed about two year ago. I started sweating excessively from my head, face, under my breasts and my groin. This is affecting my life so much that I just don't want to leave the house anymore. My friend says she has never seen anything like it. I have to shower at least three times a day and change clothes at the same time. I saw my doctor who put me on HRT and it was great, no more sweating. Then after about six months sweat free it came back with a vengeance. I saw another doctor who took me off HRT and prescribed Clonidine. This has had no effect whatsoever. I'm at my wits end with this problem and just don't know who to turn to for a remedy that works. These sweats are not triggered by anything, they just come on, start on my head and down to my groin although my underarms, hands and feet are not affected. This has practically stopped any social life I had as I put make-up on and do my hair then the sweat start and make runs off and my hair sticks to my head. I know that I really can't take much more of this as I have no life left as I can do nothing because of this horrendous sweating. I'm sorry I couldn't give you any answers but I just wanted to tell you that you're not alone bearing these symptoms. Rosie

I have found my blood pressure medicine metoprolol helps with the sweating to where it is now some what tolerable. However oxybutin didn't help me at all!!! I still am looking for something that has better results!

Metoprolol is a beta blocker which at times was used for the treatment of hyperhidrosis. It does not have a high rate of success but if you have some benefit then you can use it as long as you are being followed by a physician. On other hand Oxybutin is also a medication that is used to treat focal hyperhidrosis but again here with limited success rates. You can try other Anticholiergic agents such as Robinul and see if it helps. See our oral medications section.

I had a moderate asthma problem since 9 years but when i walk a little my body starts to heat up after walking distance around 250m my body starts sweating but after that when i sit my body burst into excessive sweating causing pimples all around my back & face and my shirt gets white fluid marks with foul smelling all around which make me feel embarrassed in office works so its my humble request u to kindly suggest me the best solution for the above problem.

Not knowing all the medical details about yourself (body type, other illnesses) it is very difficult to give you an answer for what you are describing. Obviously excessive sweating after very mild exertion is not typical and there are many possible reasons for that such as medications, body type, ambient temperature etc. It is close to impossible to help you better but a discussion with a good primary care physician might be helpful for you with trying to solve this problem.

I'm 52 I sweat at work in those places I wrote above. Around the back of neck on shirt you can see the white line of the salt from my body sweating. My son who is 26 takes no medicine sweats so bad in all the places I wrote plus when he sleeps he sweats and you can see the outline of wetness on his mattress. My 84 year old aunt, former nurse in her day said both son and I should get thyroid checked and pancreas testing. She said to see an endocrologist docor I'm sure this is spelt wrong. Can you help with the spelling of type of doctor and any comments or help will be much appreciated. I take medicine for depression, GERD, HYPERTENSION, ANXIETY, and have had 3 back surgeries. laminectomy< discectomy, and fusion. My son is not overweight like myself.

Your comment denotes a genetic pattern to the sweating. Indeed after working so many years with patients with palmar and plantar hyperhidrosis, which is somewhat different from the sites you mentioned we know now that more than 55% of the patients do have a family history. Facial hyperhidrosis is a unique pattern of focal hyperhidrosis but at present I do not recommend the surgical procedure ETS for that problem. Also from your comment I realize that the other ailment you suffer from and taking medications for obviously contributes to your problem. I suggest that if you have a good internist/family doctor they can help you out with sorting out the medications you have, eliminating what is not necessary, improve lifestyle and activity might help you out. Again the combination of genetic-family history and the other illnesses you have are all factored into this excessive facial sweating.

I am 59 and have suffered from this for as long as I can remember. I sweat very little elsewhere on on my body. This sweating is accompanied by an extreme red flush on my face that takes hours to dissipate, long after the sweating has ended. I am currently 66 inches tall and weigh 195 lbs, however, I have suffered from this at a weight range from this to 102 lbs. The sweating is so intense that it drips from my face and into my eyes, saturates my hair, and soaks the neck of my clothes. I frequently suffer from hand, feet, leg and toe cramps due to the electrolytes lost due to sweating. I sweat in hot temperatures and if I exercise at all, however, I may be seized by an attack after standing for more that 10 minutes or for unknown reasons. The sweating is frequently accompanied by nausea. No one in my family suffers from this problem. After flushing for an extended period of time my skin is often painful to the touch and hypersensitive. My doctors have, in the past, blown me off when I asked about this but, as I have recently found out that this is a recognized problem I am no longer willing to "just live with it". This is a socially and physically debilitating problem. I have a referral to a dermatologist on 10/8/14, but am trying to gather all the information I can . I also want to ensure that this is the appropriate referral. Thank you in advance.

Reading your comment tells me that the most bothersome situation for you is your cranio facial sweating as you put it flushing and sweating from your head. Unfortunately this type of focal hyperhidrosis is not amenable for surgical treatment. There are some medications that one might use or try. See our page on oral medications. It seems that your hand sweating is a secondary issue but even if it was the only problem you had your height / weight ratio is not acceptable for surgery. You should discuss with your doctor the usage of those aforementioned medications and see what type of help you can get.

Hi
I have been having sweaty hands and feet since i was little. They also feel cold and frozen at times. Which oral medication can i be able to use for effective results, can i obtain them over the counter?or would i need a prescription from a doctor.

From your short comment I do not have all the clinical information I would need about you. Are your hands wet down to the level of dripping? If yes then a chance should be given to a trial of alternative medications or lotions (see left navigation). Those alternative methods have very limited success rates but never the less should be tried for about 10 days to 2 weeks. If no response is obtained then thought should be given to the surgical options available. The ETS or the ELS procedures have proven track records with regard to their success rate and safety but a thorough discussion should be carried out by the patient and a surgeon before making any decisions.

For your comment I have no idea whether you tried some strong medically prescribed anti perspirant such as Drysol or Maxim. There are some surgical options with a certain success rate for this problem (Axillary suction curretage). For more information you can all our office (310) 557-3037.

Is there a specialist that deals in this condition? If so, what type of specialist? Are there any contacts that I can call someone to discuss my condition? I've mentioned this to my GP and other doctors I have to no avail and I have no answers on what to do or who to see about it. Thanks much.

Excessive armpit sweating can be dealt with by dermatologists and surgeons. The dermatologists will offer the patients certain medicated anti perspirants and or Botox injections all of which are limited in their success rate. Surgically surgeons including plastic surgeons will offer either the axillary suction curettage or the excision of the sweat glands. Either method has benefits and or drawbacks. The success rate even with the surgical methods mentioned above is not unanimously the same. Dr. Reisfeld does not recommend ETS for excessive and isolated armpit sweating. There are specialists all over the US and throughout the world that know of this subject however not all surgeons have the same approach.

Hello my 5 yr old son is of healthy weight and height, he plays very hard and is very active, but my fiance is worried about the fact that he sweats more on his head than anywhere else on his body. I have Rosaceae and my cheeks are almost constantly flushed, but my sons only seem to flush during the physical activity and as soon as he sits down or starts to relax the sweat dries and his face returns to its normal shade( we are fair skinned) he will occasionally complain of being hot( but that is typically when my fiance or myself would also consider it hot) he has had no health issue barring the occasional cold and fever. We also keep his hair cut into a Mohawk and I have noticed he sweats most severely where the hair is still intact
I don't see there is anything wrong with him as he acts completely normal, can you help me put my fiances mind at ease? Thank you.

With regard to your 5 year old son, it is too early to suggest or talk about any solutions because of his age. He might develop excessive facial sweating when he gets older but it is way too early at present to talk about options or treatments. When he reaches his teenage years and if the condition deteriorates even further then it would be the appropriate time to talk with physician about it.

I am 34. I sweat on my forehead, i will feel it when it's coming and practically there is nothing i can do to stop it untill the sweat breaks its way and go down on his own. Any little thing bring fear to my heart and it result to sweat in my forehead. Eye contact that is not friendly also make me feel uncomfortable and that will result to sweat in my forehead. Please kindly advise me what is happening to my health?

I've suffer from excessive sweating on my scalp and face as long as I can remember (around 8yo or earlier). I always thought it was normal since I live in a hot and humid weather. So it is normal to sweat in this kind of weather. However, I always curious because I will sweat excessively compared to my friends. My hair will be soaking wet as if I just got out of shower. I can even see the sweat bead forming on my hairline. I have to wear a scarf or cap to cover my head so that the sweat won't drip to my forehead and all over my face. If not, it can drip down into my eyes, ears and even on my work station. I have to do this while cooking, ironing even during meal time. Sitting on a couch, bed or in front of computer (in a air-conditioning room) is fine. I really hope to find a solution for my condition.